


nocturne

by elios (zostir)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Insomnia, M/M, Songwriting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:01:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zostir/pseuds/elios
Summary: There's only one thing Leo-san can do when he leaves their bed in the dead of night.
Relationships: Suou Tsukasa/Tsukinaga Leo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	nocturne

**Author's Note:**

> a fic set in the same timeline as [moments of eternity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23785957) i wrote back in may. can be read as a side story or a standalone (in that case, just know that ousama is their cat).  
> this work is actually a translation. if you're fluent in french, i advise you to read the original version [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yKbAjc5HtZu_dL7kr1EGx0gCldg7IASapdOeEzWymQg/edit?usp=sharing)!

There was, at the end of the garden, a small basin where carps swam out of sight. The branches of the willow covered the tiny stretch of water, protecting the privacy of the fishes; you had to get close to notice their presence. This was one of Leo's favourite places for composing when he couldn't go to the lake. Tsukasa often woke up in the middle of the night to find himself alone in their bed; whenever he left the room to take a look at their garden at the back of the house, he always saw a sparkle of light through the dark leaves of the tree.

That night, Tsukasa couldn't fall asleep. It happened when he couldn't disconnect his mind from his busy day, thinking about one problem he could have resolved differently, about one solution he was proud of. 

Most of the times, Leo didn't notice his inner turmoil, as he was sound asleep in his part of the bed; a king-sized bed, since the songwriter moved a lot in his sleep and he often kicked Tsukasa in the calves. However, that night, when Tsukasa couldn't fall asleep, he felt the sheets sliding down, and Leo got up in total silence. Tsukasa said nothing, didn't show he was awake. 

So Leo was going to compose under the willow. This was the artist's freedom, as he didn't have a regular schedule to follow; the only thing he followed was his inspiration, even if it was already past midnight and his body begged for sleep. On the other hand, Tsukasa had to wake up early in the morning. He didn't like those moments when he had to quickly turn off his alarm clock to avoid disturbing Leo, when he was trying to discern, in the penumbra drilled by the rays of light even the curtains couldn't stop, the form of his smile on his sleeping face. It was like tearing yourself away from paradise to get exiled on earth; it was an act against nature, that could only be done for the sake of his duties.

However, Morpheus wasn't visiting Tsukasa that night; he was bothered by small details, by the way the sheet rose and let air inside, by the depression formed by his head on the pillow, too deep to be comfortable, by the cracks and ordinary noises from a home. His big violet eyes couldn't stay closed long. Tsukasa finally sat up, sighing. He was painfully aware of Leo's absence, even if he had no idea how. He knew, when he felt how the blanket foundered on his thighs, that his partner couldn't be there. He felt lonely, to an extent that it became unbearable.

He put slippers on, slipped a dressing gown on, grabbed his phone and quietly went down the stairs. Leo wasn't asleep, but their cat was. Tsukasa pushed the door leading to their patio. As he thought, the end of the garden was illuminated. He crossed the lawn, the creasing of his gown the only thing disturbing the silence.

Leo was sitting by the basin, the tip of his foot almost touching the water. The night-light he used to light up his work was set down on the grass, next to a pile of paper that was quite familiar. Leo's posture seemed uncomfortable, as he was stooped, his neck bent, the music score lying clumsily on his knee. His pen crossed the surface of the paper with the speed of lightning, writing the notes with a total lack of care, and Tsukasa would doubt they're readable if he didn't know Leo that well. Of course, Leo didn't notice him, or rather he didn't signal that he had noticed him; Tsukasa believed, though, that he was aware of his presence, retained in a corner of his memory, and perhaps it would show in the melody he was creating. Tsukasa sat next to him, quiet.

This nocturnal wait - spent only sitting next to his beloved, watching him do what he loved the most at such a weird time - was oddly relaxing. Soon, Tsukasa's mind, which had been a whirlwind since sunrise, was freed from its burden. The only thing left was Leo, the way he didn't look around him but still took note of what happened. The gap between the two men had decreased, for both of them had worn the crown, and both had blood on their hands; yet the world in which Leo was engulfed was his own, one Tsukasa couldn't enter at all. It was, however, not a real problem; neither did Leo explore all of Tsukasa's world. A world composed of long hours behind a desk, his ear glued to a phone, checking the screen even when it was ringing because _what if it rang_ ; and the boring dinners that Tsukasa now attended alone, not because he was ashamed of the man living with him, but because he knew this man would suffocate there. And his father's expectations, too, who first tolerated Leo and had now come to love him like a second son: he still showed an unbearable glimpse of disappointment when he was alone with Tsukasa. His world was heavy and oppressive, and often Tsukasa felt like he was on the verge of drowning; he didn't want to drag Leo along. What he truly wanted was this bubble they were building together, this night by the water when nothing existed except for Leo's art and Tsukasa's silent support.

Time passed by and Leo stretched out - the gesture was really similar to Ousama's somehow, they looked like a dad and his son. "Oh, Suo~, you're here right in time! Look, I've written something for you!"

 _I've written, for you_ , he said, as if he had the intent to offer it to Tsukasa from the beginning - as if he wrote the piece with only him in his mind. And it was certainly true; Tsukasa himself wasn't constantly thinking about Leo, but he would still remember the other every so often, and then he would be unable to get rid of him. Maybe because it was _pleasant_ to think about Leo rather than the pile of work to do.

So he took the sheets Leo handed him, and even though the light was too dim to read, he tried to decipher the notes. So this was the piece that pulled him off his bed, the piece inspired by the carps and the willow, and by his boyfriend sitting next to him. Tsukasa was sure that it sounded like a nocturne.

Tsukasa got closer and softly kissed Leo's temple. "I love you too, Leo-san."


End file.
